The Best Raised Garden Bed Option for you!

[@coachhannah2403]

I built beds 29 years ago out of bottom-grade Douglas fir 2x12s, and have even picked them up and moved them. I have redone the corner supports a couple times, and they are definitely showing their age in places, but they still serve honorably in my garden!

[@debbieleathers4798]

We built ours out of cinder blocks and they are wonderful. They no longer have the fly ash or pot ash in them so they are not bad for your garden. They are wonderful because they will last for a long time but we can also take them apart and move them if needed. We built ours 24’ by 3’ and only 2 deep but I wish we we would have gone 3 deep just for easier access.

[@DIYwithDave]

That's great!

[@movaughn20]

Use what ya got! I make a few from old fridges, sides covered and trimmed with old fencing. I have a trailer full of block, hate moving materials thinking of similar to yours, have you added a layer, making it higher? Curious if you needed any stakes to keep the sides from blowing out? I have unknown water lines in area planning to stack mine.

[@anantyuvabharat5874]

What is your opinion on bamboo

[@donnastormer9652]

Thank you for this video. I always appreciate it when people take time to do something like this.

[@tinafuller3086]

"Cinder blocks" are no longer the same. If you go to Home Depot or Lowe's, they are now made of Portland cement and sand and aggregate. They are perfectly safe for a raised bed now. This is why they are no longer called cinder blocks. They are called concrete blocks.

[@petercofrancesco9812]

Thanks. I used "cinder" blocks and was worried after watching this. I had replaced raised bed that the previous home owner had made out of pressure treated wood. I think the video creator should have stressed warning for this material because if you go to a big box store the default wood for outdoors use is pressure treated. The name seems harmless until you discover its treated with chemicals that have arsenic in it.

[@joefish4466]

Cinder blocks haven't been mass produced with fly ash in the U.S. for 50 years. This guy does not know what he's talking about. Even if coal ash was used, some studies show better crop yield when coal ash was used as a fertilizer, with minimal concern for heavy metal contamination. Having said that, if you did get a hold of a 60 year old cinder block, the potential contaminants are trapped in the aggregate and unlikely to leach out in significant amounts. DIY Dave probably refused the polio vaccine, thinking it was the COVID vaccine, which is why he's paralyzed from the neck up.

[@rcjbvermilion]

​@@petercofrancesco9812 at least in the US, pressure treated lumber hasn't contained arsenic for around 20 years.

[@petercofrancesco9812]

@@rcjbvermilion Didn't know that. Regardless it needs to be treated with some sort of chemical you don't want edible plants absorbing.

[@AngelD329]

What a relief 😅thanks

[@gilbert4351]

Wow... Thank you sir. I am glad I ran into this video.. The idea of plastic for a raised bed did cross my mind. Thank you for your shared knowledge and experience. 😎👍👍

[@movaughn20]

I use old fridges, drill drainage holes, attach siding, or fence boards and paint. Better then the dump. Stinking LG!

[@utarisusanti7200]

Can you show us how to build it in utube pls?

[@movaughn20]

@@utarisusanti7200 I have 2 stripped, ready to set up. I will record a short video. Don't know how to edit. So we'll see. Pretty simple. Pull all the shelves, doors off fridge or freezer, a 6 in 1 screwdriver will do it. Drill some drain holes in the back, sides from interior. Start with 1/4" bit, and increase size to whatever you want. push it on it's back. Now you have a raised flower bed... Good to add some drainage items. rocks, broken cement, even old wood, whatever ya got to just take up space cause your not growing a tree. Top fill a foot deep or so with soil from your local distributor. FYI if it's spring and it's sunny, they are going to be busy. Some sell soil by the bucket, can, or yard for loader loading trailers. Most places also take clean yard debris for reasonable prices. It's chipped and added to mulch or compost.

[@donnastormer9652]

We have a roofing material company that’s close to us. It’s called Baker Metal here in Northwest Florida and they paint both sides of the roofing material which is a good thing for raised beds because it holds the aluminum/zinc chemicals in and make them safer raised beds. It’s a whole lot cheaper to build a frame and put that Sheeting on for raised bed then it is to buy one of these fancy kits. my neighbor built her raised beds using that process six years ago and they are holding up very well. They used pressure-treated 4 x 4 for the corner posts and pressure-treated two by fours for the framing..

[@kagnewmp12]

I have a nice size garden but I pick up those heavy duty watermelon boxes made from heavy cardboard for potatoes mostly. I get them for free at my local Walmart and at around 4 foot square and 4 foot high I can plant a dozen or more seed potatoes in each box and simply add more soil as they grow. I have picked close to 50 pounds of potatoes from one box and they usually fall apart at . the end of season and unlike potatoes in the garden you don't miss any potatoes. I'm a new Subscriber and thanks.

[@neildriedger637]

GREAT video,loved it..GREAT Information!!!!👍

[@DIYwithDave]

Thanks! I'm glad you found it useful!

[@davidscott5903]

We're building ours with retaining wall block, and I was hoping that you wouldn't say that that was the worst thing that we could use. Cause we're already working hard on it, and have already bought 3 pallets of block and several cubic yards of dirt.

[@DIYwithDave]

Haha. No retaining wall block is great. It will last forever, but boy is it a lot of work! Good luck.

[@crabtrap]

lets get honest. the corrugated, galvanized beds are both the best and most cost effective. they are also removable if you want to move to another home. the heat issue is solvable by adding an insulated layer on outside or inside. timber always sucks and is WAY to costly nowadays

[@stevenwood7131]

Pines and doug fir and hemlock: I built an untreated hemlock 12'x16'x22" and a treated 12'x10'x22" bed and used food grade canning wax to safely seal the wood from the elements...both inside (soil contact) and outside of the planter. *I would lay the boards flat in the summer heat. I placed canning wax chunks onthe boards and let the sun soften the wax for about 15 mins to 30 mins. With rhe soft wax i would (in circular motions) wax on wax on or rhink waxing a surf board. Let the board sit out for 2 to 3 hours and let the board take in the wax. Flip it and repeat... All 6 sides. This will take a few days to complete. Im redoing my beds and have broken aparts the boards. The hemlock bed boards i didn't treat are understandably pitting and rotting on the surfaces that contacted the soil. The boards i treated with Food safe canning wax are not perfect, but i estimate i could get another 2 to 3 years out of them. Ive had these beds for 7 years. So in theory if you treat the bed boards with canning wax you could get about 8 to 10 years out of them.

[@susanw8440]

Love DIY Dave. Thanks for all the great info.

[@DIYwithDave]

Thanks for watching!

[@bungalobill7941]

I use 2x6 lumber here in West Texas with growable soil underneath. Too hot and dry for anything higher or you will be watering constantly. And I mean constantly.

[@simongrunchy7725]

Most gardeners are missing the boat. Consider using discarded upright Freezers or refrigerators for a raised bed. They are just the right size for weeding and harvesting at waist height, making them ideal for wheelchair access or seniors, or those with back problems. One or a dozen, it 's up to you. It took me two weeks on Craigslist to get an even dozen boxes, and that was being picky. No stainless steel, or black refrigerators, no side-by-sides, only white boxes. They come insulated, and the type of soil they have is up to you. No more gophers, moles, rabbits, either! Just remove and discard the doors and shelves, fill and plant. Water with a garden hose, or plumb them with an irrigation system from below. Ideal for an apartment with a small patio, or a big yard. No more bending to weed! Best of all, they're free, and you keep them out of the landfill! Details to your questions if you like

[@richard-fy2mu]

With plastic especially buckets, unless food grade avoid! I am building frame box with chicken wire bottom to hold grow bags with top frame for insect fabric and a PVC sprinkler system to allow spot and drip irrigation like used in Israel as I m in a desert area with soil that could kill a plastic plant.

[@jimpeter3453]

Every aspect nicely done. Thanks. Regards from Baltimore.

[@himhim3344]

RIP that bridge😅💀💀

[@teunlll]

I want to add something to the stone one. At least in the Netherlands, there are tons of people giving away their old stones/bricks for free if you pick them up there. In this case it's really cheap, durable and it looks just way more natural than the metal beds.

[@tiramax]

If they have fly ash that is toxic. Be careful about which stones or bricks you use

[@DIYwithDave]

Natural stones are perfect! Be careful of some man-made stone or bricks. Some may be fine, but others could contain substances you should avoid.

[@mcclungsonwhite7377]

Thanks for all the info!

[@nevillewalker6299]

Four free half IBC liners set in panelled surrounds made from free pallet wood. Filled with good old farmyard muck and soil does the job.

[@davidsilva487]

Great info thank you 🙏

[@harelmoshe100]

structural insulated panels (SIPs) the metal panels, 5 cm thick, is the best material for garden bed or planter box. Thanks from Israel 👍🏻😉

[@DIYwithDave]

That's a good tip. What makes SIPS the best?

[@harelmoshe100]

@@DIYwithDave 1. Light material weight. 2. Resistance to weather conditions. 3. Easy and simple application. 4. It can be covered with a variety of materials. Like bricks and more ...

[@DIYwithDave]

Sounds interesting. I'll have to check it out. Thanks!

[@jrrn96]

Won't the extra heat burn up the roots?.

[@RKSingh-pi4dq]

Thank you for posting this

[@DIYwithDave]

I'm glad you found it useful!

[@tednisbeth3088]

thanks for the tips Dave !

[@DIYwithDave]

Glad I could help!

[@bobbijoevans4421]

Loved this!!

[@DIYwithDave]

Thanks!

[@brucemcdougall7282]

Thanks Sir !

[@DIYwithDave]

Thank you!

[@Roy_Tellason]

We had a planter where I used to live that was made out of railroad ties. Lots and lots of good stuff grew in there! Please elaborate on the bad effects of the creosote leaching into the soil? I suspect that it was there for many years before we moved into that place, which might have some bearing on it.

[@DIYwithDave]

Here is a document from the CDC that outlines it's effects: www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=www.atsdr.cdc.gov/sites/KerrMcGee/docs/Creosote%2520Health%2520Effects%2520(Tronox).pdf&ved=2ahUKEwjus57Vncz_AhUFlGoFHcReB5QQFnoECBwQAQ&usg=AOvVaw21roVcaEr7aGeL23aMMrlg

[@spencerk4077]

Cedar is also a really good wood to use

[@coachhannah2403]

I use cedar fence planks (5-1/2" or 13cm) for my table beds. Tables made of 2x4s, set on 12x12 pavers, with a bed on top. I use wire cloth for support, and garden cloth to hold the dirt. Couple rebar supports and I can garden standing up!

[@Gruuvin1]

The title question was never answered, but it's why people clicked on the video. I'll answer it. The best option is Vego corrugated metal beds.

[@TexasLocalProduce]

I live in Texas, it has been in the 90's since April . It is now May 6th & we are hitting triple digits in 2 days. The Sun intensity here is a major beast. Once the Sun hits metal, you can not touch metal with your bare hands, it will feel like you are getting a 3rd degree burn. These insane tempts. continue until the beginning of Oct. So using ANY KIND of metal near the roots of my plants will cook the plants. All the soil inside a metal bed will retain excessive heat until about 2 am. I think metal beds are the prettiest choice, so I am bummed I can't use metal.

[@victormartiny7599]

Thanx!

[@kurtcurtis2730]

We start with a trench lined with wire first (gophers). Then using cinder block and reinforcing with rebar. Guess we should rethink thst

[@danilo352]

What about fastening materials for the posts. Is it okay to use galvanized bolts? Also, I have a bunch of aluminum square poles (both square and round). Would that be good for posts?

[@bartgiles1068]

As an experiment I built eleavated garden beds kiln dried pine/fur? 2x6 3 high doweled every 6” 2’x8’ deep char inside and out then rolled them with boiled linseed oil two each do you think they will work as is or should I line them with some kind of plastic fun build retired hobbyist Wood worker/gardener just trying to stay busy

[@JohanlastZa]

Answers is easy: the best you can afford

[@spanky7277]

Creosote is derived from the distillation of tar from wood or coal and is used as a wood preservative. Pesticide products containing creosote as the active ingredient are used to protect wood used outdoors (such as railroad ties and utility poles) against termites, fungi, mites and other pests.

[@auntie9359]

Can I set in a rise bed over a tree root? Should I lay garden plastic on top of it before I set in a raised bed?

[@DIYwithDave]

I am not totally certain, but I think that if it is a dead tree, you are probably fine. If it is still a living tree, then I wonder how the tree and the garden would interact.

[@swapnamulkala1984]

Do we have termites issue ?? If we use wooden beds

[@candyredding1082]

This is a little off the subject but I'm trying to figure out how to put a floor on skids without the skids twisting or pulling apart. is there any way you could help me with that. But I do want to say thank you for all your information that you give me very very helpful

[@DIYwithDave]

What do you mean by skids? Are you trying to add flooring to pallets? Is this for a shed or something?

[@candyredding1082]

@@DIYwithDave I made a pallet floor 4 pallets x8 pallets. But I was trying to figure out how to move it around the property and continue using it so I wanted to put it on skids to pull it around does that make sense

[@piercem56]

How long would treated pine lumber last?

[@markwarrenseadog2349]

I Shared

[@DIYwithDave]

Thanks!

[@rickdixon9933]

Can you use treated lumber?

[@puddytat8390]

What do you mean having bad soil defeats the purpose of having a garden bed? So does that mean you can’t even buy soil as your ground soil would affect that soil and there isn’t then any point having a garden bed?

[@kashyabguruvar5065]

What about rammed earth raised beds?

[@cher9422]

What about cedar is it a good wood

[@maggierodriguez3891]

I'm torn between plastic and wood 🤔

[@DIYwithDave]

I'm partial to wood myself because it is so versatile, but it definitely takes more work and planning. For most plastic planters, there isn't much work to put them together.

[@LisaLutsche]

What about bricks?

[@puddytat8390]

Wood when wet attracts termites.

[@kaix9_]

I want to start gardening but my backyard is full of cement and I have no grass. What do you suggest??

[@Godbepraise]

People do garden on tote, drums, 5 gallon etc on their deck , search videos, you will see what you want, be patient to find what will make you happy, blessing.

[@nanakriscasita]

Can you yse old tractor tires

[@DIYwithDave]

Old tires would be fine for a flower garden or a garden of non-edible plants (provided it doesn't leach stuff into the soil and kill the plants), but for a veggie garden it is best to avoid. Here is some info you may find helpful: ecogreenequipment.com/how-do-old-discarded-tires-affect-the-environment/

[@scottprobst9976]

What part of PA are you from

[@DIYwithDave]

I used to live in western PA just north of Pittsburgh, but I recently moved to Texas.

[@Think-dont-believe]

3:21 no longer used

[@Stephanie-p9k]

In your introduction you made a statement that included a truth and a lie. Essentially you said raised beds warm quicker in the spring leading to a longer growing season. It is true they warm quicker. But the claim that this leads to a longer growing season is untrue. The same variable which allows quicker warming in spring also allows quicker cooling in fall. Net increase in growing season length is zero. That same variable ALSO allows for greater temperature variation throughout the growing season, which makes possible spikes in root zone temperature possible. Roots are HIGHLY susceptible to high temperatures, so that should be monitored in midsummer.

[@joedon1706]

Do not do this. They are hard to weed. Hard to maintain. Use more water. And a waste of the surrounding land. Just an all round pain in the ass. Do this: Haul in some good sandy loam soil. About 3 or 4 inches higher than the existing ground. You will have a much bigger garden that is much easier to access with hand tools and or power garden equipment.

[@Crankinstien]

Redwood?! Jesus bro. How much money you have? Lmao

[@scotmcpherson]

hemlock is terrible...it's one of the fastest rotting woods there is

[@DdanielCh9]

People are worried about concrete bricks but probably don't even use organic seeds. Lmao.

[@tiramax]

Non-organic seeds don't have fly ash or who knows what.

[@murphyc15]

Organic seeds 😂

[@MrTonyPiscatelle]

If your soil is bad a raised bed defeats the purpose ????? What planet are you from ? No no moose breath, a raised bed is the purpose if your soil is bad because you fill the planter with good soil !

[@Godbepraise]

And you can build your own compost.